ozil and giroud our best players

cech did well

Phew.....9 months like this ahead of us all. Dont think I can bear that

Wouldn't call it a smash and grab. Dominated them for 75% of the game.

We are on the way .forward

Those who thought this would be easy need to look the manner of our play over the last two games.

We could easily be on just 1 point right now.

Oil clearly MOTM, Sanchez looking dangerous even without being completely fit..Cazorla the unsung hero.

comment by Forrr - Suplex City (U18420)
posted 2 minutes ago
Arsenal move up to 11th
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Our game manage is getting worse. We shouldn't be hanging on this desperately with the players at our disposal .

Anyone know Wenger's win record against Pardew? Must be quite high considering how well we always seem to do against Pardew's sides.

AAHHH I forgoet Chelsea vs Man city next

Would have preferred Walcott instead of Gibbs as the last sub. His pace on the counter could have easily finished the game off

All in all we played with determination, technical ability and we created more chances in the first half than the whole game against West Ham

Cazorla should never be moved out of middle ever again!

Gd game for Oz today. We still can't prise open defences. Still work to do.

"Wouldn't call it a smash and grab. Dominated them for 75% of the game."
============================================
And yet still only just escaped with a narrow win. Therein lies one of our biggest problems.

comment by BO$$™ (U6401)
posted 5 minutes ago
Wouldn't call it a smash and grab. Dominated them for 75% of the game.
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Yep. Finishing should improve

Cazorla still miles ahead of everyone else

comment by Castor Troy (U8700)
posted about a minute ago
Cazorla still miles ahead of everyone else
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In the right position yes....

Weren't ruthless enough up front, that was main issue. Defence needs to improve, but looked better for most of the second

comment by The Year of the Ox (U7080)
posted about a minute ago
Weren't ruthless enough up front, that was main issue. Defence needs to improve, but looked better for most of the second
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we need to be more clinical....

Should have been two goals up in the first ten minutes. Gotta improve on finishing. Then it still amazes me how a player of Koscielny's experience can be turning his back on a shot. Could have easily stuck out a leg and blocked the shot.

I actually thought Cazorla was very poor especially defensively.

Cazorla won man of the match , he can't have been that bad.

Positives: We created a lot of chances and should have been very comfortable. We defended well when the ball came into our box for the most part, and Palace didn't really get in behind.

Negatives: Our finishing was poor and it put us under a lot of unneccesary pressure. We didn't keep the ball all that well high up the pitch. Our defending from our midfielders and forwards was sometimes there and other times missing, and that was why Coquelin was exposed and could have ended up getting sent off. I still don't feel that all of our midfielders know what's required from them tracking back - they try hard but often make challenges when they don't need to or stand off when they should close down. How our players could allow themselves to get caught offside in the last ten minutes, when we just needed them to get the ball and hold on to it to relieve the pressure, I don't know. But it must drive Wenger and Bould insane. Giroud scored a good goal but didn't offer enough physically again. I don't care that he's not a world-beater, he can't help that, but he needs to work harder for the team as a result.

All in all a good result but not the best performance. It was much like the West Ham game, but it worked out today and hopefully that will build confidence and let us play with more assurance in the next game.

Santi was immense - as usual. Our fullbacks did well. Ramsey worked hard, but was sloppy. Ozil had a decent game and that cross for Giroud's goals was stunning. Alexis could have had a hat-trick. Pretty wasteful.

A great, hard-won 3 points.